holgate



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1.

J. 8v J. B. HOLGATE.

FEED REGULATOR FOR ROLLER MILLS. No. 361,416. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. & J. B. HOLGATE. FEED REGULATOR FOR RoLLRR MILLS.

No. 361,416. Patented Apr. 19(188'7.

"D. PCIERS. Fhnm-Lillwgmpher. Washington, D C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. & J. B. HOLGATE.

FEED REGULATOR FOR ROLLER MILLS. No. 361,416. Patented Apr.- 19, 1887.

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' ,3 M W I? (No Modql.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. &AJ. B. HOLGATE.-

FEED REGULATOR FOR ROLLER MILLS. v No, 361,416. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HOLGAIE AND JAo E EELE HOLGATE, OF EUENLEY, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

FEED-REGULATGR FOR ROLLER-MILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,416, dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed March 9, 1886. Serial No. 194,605. (No model.) Patented in England August 14, 1885, No. 9,689.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN HOLGATE and J AGOB BELL HOLGATE, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, both residing at Junction street, Burnl'ey, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain Improvements in Feed-Regulators forltoller-lliills,(for which We have obtained a patent in England, dated August 14, 1885, No. 9,689,) of which the following is a specification. 7

The object of our invention is to provide improved automatic mechanism for operating the feed-gates of roller-mills, for disengaging the surfaces of the crushing-rolls when the hopper is empty and the feedgates closed, and for automatically reopening the feed-gates and rriieggaging the rolls when the hopper is again The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and .combination of parts, hereinafter described, and fully defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawings accompanying this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a roller-mill embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail View of the engaging and disengaging "mechanism removed from the mill, the view being taken from the end. 30

Fig. 4 is a view of the same parts taken from the side. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the feed-hopper and the mechanism for operating the feed-gates.

In the said drawings, the reference-letter A denotes the frame of the mill. B is a pulley driving the lower rolls, 0, and D is a similar pulley actuating the upper rolls,O. The shaft of each of the rolls 0' is mounted in bearings a pitman, F, projects upward and passes- 5 through the annulus E above it. This pitman is threaded and receives a lookout, H, on which rests a hand-wheel, H, having a hub or boss, H on which the annulus E* rests. Upon the end of the pitman which projects above the said annulus is placed a boss, G between which and the annulus E is interposed a spring, G, and a nut, G is turned on the end of the pitman, whereby the tension of the said spring may be regulated. The hand-wheel H is adjusted to bring the surfaces of the rolls 0 and G into proper relation to each other, and the required pressure of the upper rolls, 0, upon the lower rolls is obtained by adjusting the nut G in the manner set forth.

Upon one end of the shaft F are mounted two ratchets, P and P, Figs. 3, 4, having their teeth pitched to operate in opposite directions. Between these ratchets isrloosely mounted a bell-crank lever having an arm, P, and an arm, P, which extends about horizontally to a point not far from the center of the frame. Upon the end of the lever P is a pivot, 10, (see Fig.4, lower part ofsaid figure,) extending over both ratchets,and on said pivot are mounted pawls P having their points arranged in opposite directions to engage with both the ,ratchetsP and P. One of said pawls is Weighted or made heavier than the other pawl, to canseit to engage one of the ratchets by its own gravity and to thereby disengage the other pawl, both pawls being rigid with the pivot-ping). To the heavy pawl is attached a cord or chain, V, which passes up spindle or shaft, V to which the end of said cord is secured. This shaft is mounted centrally beneath the hopper M,and has upon its upper end an ordinary friction bearing or boss, V".

Passing through the hopper centrally is a vertical shaft, N, having its ends projecting above and below said hopper. Upon the lower portionthereof is splined a miter-gear, J, turning in any suitable bearing, N, and meshing with a similar miter, J, upon ashaft, P Figs. 1 and 4, driven by a pulley,'P, and imparting rotation to the vertical shaft N. A spline or feather, K, on the latter allows it to rise and fall without disturbing its rotary movement. The lower end of. this shaft N is at such distance from the friction-boss "V that it may engage therewith under conditions set forth hereinafter. Apropeller or worm-plate, O, is mounted on the shaft N within the hopper M, and is arranged at such point that when the propeller approaches the bottom of the hopper closely the lower end of the shaft will rest upon the boss V Upon the shaft P is placed an eccentric f, by which reciprocation is givena pitman, P", having its lower end pivotally connected to the end of the arm P of the pawl-carrier P. A constant vibration is by this means imparted to the latter.

Upon the upper end of the shaft N is a double collar, a, between which is connected the end of a lever, U, fulcrumed in a bracket, L. A connecting rod, U, is pivotally attached to the outer end of this lever and to one arm, L", of a bell-crank lever mounted rigidly on one end of a shaft, Z having bearing in brackets Z on the sides of thehopper. This shaft carries a segment-gear, t, meshing with .a rack, t, upon a sliding feedgate, I, which moves in any suitable guides and opens and closes the feed-apertures of said hopper.

To the upwardly-projecting arm L of the bell-crank is connected a rod, U passing to the other side of the hopper, and there connected to the end of a downwardly-depending arm, L, rigidly mounted on the end of a second shaft, Z similar in construction and in function to that already described.

Arranged partly within the feed-openings of the hopper are feed-rolls I, having rotation, over which the grain passes to feed-boards I and 1 (see Fig. 2,) by which it is conducted between the rolls 0 and O.

The operation is as follows: The hopper being supplied with grain and the mill set in motion, the rotation of the shaft N causes the propeller O to raise said shaft vertically, disengaging its lower end from the friction-bearing V. This also actuat-es the lever U, which, by means of the bell-crank L L, the connecting-rods U and U arm L, gears t, and racks t, raises the feed'gates l to a height proportioned to the quantity of grain in the hopper. As the grain descends and the shaft N drops with it the lower end of the shaft finally rests on the friction-bearing V, to which rotation is imparted, winding the cord V on the spindle or shaft V and thereby raising the heavier pawl I out of engagement with one ratchet, P, and engaging the other pawl with the oppositely-toothed ratchet P. The vibration of the pawl-carrier P by the pitman P imparts movement to the said ratchet, and thereby turns the shaft F, operating the eccentrics F, raising the pitinen F, and through them lifting the arms E, which carry the upper rolls, 0, thus separating the surfaces of said rolls 0 from contact with the lower rolls, 0, and preventing all danger of heating or unnecessary wear. As the shaft N descends it also closes the feed-gates by the devices already described, this being effected a little before the action of the eccentrics F, so that the last portions of grain passing from the hopper can pass between the rolls before the latter separate.

The ratchets P and Pare each toothed upon one-half of the circumference only, thereby enabling the pawls P to turn the eccentrics F from the highest to the lowest point of adjustment, and vice versa.

We have described the devices which disengage the rolls as applied to a single pair of the latter only; but we have shown a mill having two pairs thereof, with a duplication of the disengaging mechanism, description of which would be a repetition of matter already in this specification.

What we claim is- 1. In a roller-mill, the combination, with the hopper, the rollers, and the movable bearings thereof, of a vertically moving shaft within the hopper, provided with a propellerblade engaging the grain, a spindle below the end of said shaft and adapted to engage therewith as the latter falls, a shaft having oppositely-toothed independent ratchets, a pawlcarrier vibrating between said ratchets,pawls which engage in opposite directions with said ratchets, cords connected to the pawls and winding upon the said spindle, pitmen connected with the movable bearings of the rolls, and eccentrics upon the shaft carrying said ratchets, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the hopper and the feed-rollers, of movable feed-gatesimpinging on said rollers and having racks, gears meshing with said racks, oppositely-projecting arms on the shafts of said gears, a rod connecting said arms, a lever operating one of said gear-shafts, and a rising and falling shaft having a propeller-blade located within the hopper and connected with said lever, substantially as described.

3. In a roller-mill, the combination, with the hopper and a vertically-movable shaft arranged in the hopper and provided with a propeller-blade, of a cord-spindle below the end of said shaft and adapted to engage therewith when the shaft falls, means for rotating said shaft continuously, and roll engaging and disengaging mechanism,substantially as set forth, actuated by said cord-spindle, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the hopper and a propeller-shaft having its propeller -blade within the hopper and adapted to rise and fall in its bearings,,of a spindle below and adapted to engage with the end of said shaft, cords winding on said spindle, pawls of unequal weight connected to said cords and acting in opposite directions, oppositely-toothed ratchets with which said pawls engage alternately, a vibrating pawl-carrier mounted on the shaft between said ratchets, eccentrics operated by the latter shaft, pitmen connected to said eccentrics and to the movable bearings of one of the rollers, a lever vibrating the pawl- ICC Ils

carrier, and an eccentric actuating said lever, I propellershaft with one of said arms, substansubstantially as described. tiaiiy as described.

5. The combination, with the hopper and a 7 JOHN HOLGATE. propeller-shaft turning in the hopper and ver- J AGOB BELL HOLGATE. 5 tically movable, of feed-gates provided with Witnesses:

racks, gears meshing with said racks, an up- JOSEPH HOWARTH,

Wardly-extending arm on the shaft of one Clerk with Messrs. Ormerod db Allen, Solicitors gear and a downwardly-extending arm on the and Notaries, Manchester. shaft of the other, a eonnecting-rod pivoted to Orms. R. ALLEN,

10 the ends of said arms, and alever connecting the Notary Public, Manchester. 

